Human resources professionals, recruiters and managers are finding it increasingly difficult to source the necessary talent within South Africa to grow their businesses and remain competitive.

This is likely to remain an issue for the next 15 to 25 years as education systems adapt to produce more appropriately prepared and skilled individuals, according to Leon Isaacson, managing director of Global Migration SA.

"In the global marketplace, there is a growing trend for workers who have skills that are in demand to move between companies both within and across national borders," Isaacson says.

"This brings its own challenges to employers, who have to cope with increased risk, and more complex legal and procedural matters."

As skilled foreigners are likely to play a significant role in our economy until balance is restored within the education and training systems in South Africa, Global Migration addresses important expatriate management issues to help HR departments and managers get to grips with the complexities.

Isaacson, an immigration practitioner who advises businesses and individual clients about immigration options and opportunities in South Africa; Dr Marius van Aswegen, a registered industrial psychologist specialising in the field of expatriate emotional health and management; Jerry Botha, the leading partner in a tax consultancy that focuses on expatriate planning and compliance; and Dr Laurentia Truter, an advocate whose field of expertise is employment law, labour relations and employment equity work together when addressing clients at seminars.

Van Aswegen points out that in selecting and managing foreign workers most companies focus on a single criterion: that of technical competence and performance.

However, expatriate failure is seldom the consequence of a lack of technical skills, but rather of the foreigner's ability to cope with an unpredictable new working and social environment.

"Organisations therefore need to place much more emphasis on the management of the individual's emotional well-being and health in adjusting to the foreign environment and country," he explains.

Statistics show that 16% to 45% of all expatriates "fail" - which means they return home before completing their contract - and that there is a significant drop in professional performance among 50% of those who remain in the foreign environment because of high levels of stress, he says.

He points out that expatriates face many challenges in adapting to a foreign environment.

How successful the individual is at settling in depends on a number of factors, including his ability and willingness, and that of his spouse and family, to adjust to a different country, cultures and languages; how the family copes with being away from their social support structure and whether the foreign worker is able to deal with the added responsibilities often demanded of him when working abroad.

Foreigners typically go through a cycle of phases in adjusting to a different environment, Van Aswegen says.

The first of these is the honeymoon phase in which the new life is seen as exciting and stimulating.

In the second phase the person experiences culture shock and feels disorientated, showing signs of depression or stress.

In the third or recovery phase, he begins to reach a mental compromise between his exaggerated initial expectations and reality; and in the adjustment phase, he begins to work effectively and experiences personal growth.

Van Aswegen specializes in advising people as to typical problems facing expatriates and outlines the support services that can put into place to help them adjust to an emotionally challenging external environment, to enable them to perform at a high level and achieve personal success in their new surroundings.

Isaacson knows about skills shortage work permits and HR skills strategies.

In South Africa there are various types of work permits: quota, general, exceptional skills, intra-company, exchange and business permits.

There is also a retired person's work permit, and certain visitors' permits allow foreigners to work in the country for a short while.

Isaacson says that in South Africa only registered immigration practitioners, attorneys or advocates who meet the government criteria and code of conduct may legally represent a foreigner in applying for permits at Home Affairs.

But many fly-by-night operators provide illegal permits at prices - often as high as R20 000 to R30 000 per permit.

It is important to "ask for references from current clients and check the practitioner's registration certificate".

Tax expert Jerry Botha advises clients about some of the latest amendments to South African laws, such as the new expatriate accommodation rule which became effective in March 2008, and will also advises on compensation and benefits strategies for expatriates, among others.

Dr Truter advises on issues, ranging from the statutory conditions of employment that govern expatriate contracts of employment, and the documentation required for inter-company transfers, to whether an employee can be dismissed if it transpires that he does not have a valid work permit.

---

Share this article